Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/266

Rh with the Hindus from a long time, and that even recently many Hindu females of higher classes had won much celebrity for their attainments and accomplishments. Among these, he named Rani Bhavani of Murshidabad, who had attained much proficiency in her mother tongue, and superintended the management of her estate affairs personally; and another celebrated Brahman lady, by name Hati Vidyalankar, who was so vastly erudite in the Sanskrit Literature, that, like other eminent scholars of the male sex, she appeared at the meetings of Pandits, and discussed Sastric matters. He also mentioned a third Brahman lady, named Syamasundari, of the Faridpore district, who had attained a great proficiency in the Nyaya philosophy. Her husband too was a profound Sanskrit scholar. Raja Radha Kanta, by these and other means, encouraged the education of the females of his nation. But, in a few years, several Hindus having been converted into the Christian faith, there arose a disagreement between the Hindus and the Christians, which had a great derogatory influence on the girl-schools started and worked on European principle. At this time, Bethune, the greatest friend of the black natives, particularly of their females, came forward to their rescue, and started, in 1849, a girl-school with 25 pupils, in the premises of Babu Dakshina Ranjan Mukharji of Sukea's Street. It was afterwards removed to a part of the Hare School building,